


Bound

by fabre



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Alternate Ending, Drama, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-05-08
Updated: 2010-05-08
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabre/pseuds/fabre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes all it takes to change everything is a single different step. (Right after the final fight in Eldrant, but before the epilogue. Eventual Guy/Luke.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bound

This was it.

_This was it._

He turned away from his friends, not daring to spare them another glance as he took his position at the center of the courtyard. He could tell they were still there, hesitating over leaving him behind, but he trusted Guy and Jade to get them all out of there safely. They would be alright.

The ground was shaking all around him, unforgiving, and it made it hard to hear anything past the sound of his wildly beating heart in his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, lifting the heavy sword that was his to carry and held it high above his head. His eyes opened then to take one last look at the crumbling city in front of him, before he brought it down rapidly towards the floor without hesitation.

It all happened so quickly he didn't hear the steps behind him until it was too late, and strong arms had wrapped around him _just_ as his sword hit the ground, the power of his hyperresonance swirling, unstable, for a moment around them before he managed to adjust it to their new mass, shock taking a backseat to the immediate concern of not making them both explode.

Blue light surrounded them evenly as the sword disintegrated into thin air, a glowing glyph appearing beneath them, lowering them slowly into the darkest recesses of Eldrant. Only once he was sure they were stable did the redhead turn to stare at the man behind him in disbelief, just as the other released him to take a step back.

"G-Guy! What the hell?"

All he got in response was a sheepish yet still way too confident smile, "I told you it's lonely being a servant without a master."

"But—," his response got cut short by Guy placing a finger over his lips.

"I didn't leave you alone before, and I won't do it now. You're coming back with me."

He wasn't about to admit it out loud, but his answer helped to replace the carefully hidden fear that had been gripping his stomach ever since he found out what he was supposed to do today. However, it was quickly replaced with another one, "But how are you going to get out? I..." He'd gone in knowing that releasing Lorelei meant he'd disappear, but if he —and his hyperresonance— was gone, what was going to keep Guy from plummeting to his death?

A hand squeezed his arm reassuringly, and he got an awful feeling in his gut that Guy had jumped after him fully aware of the consequences, "Don't worry about that now."

He was going to voice another protest, but before he could, something dropping towards them from one of the upper floors made him look up and unconsciously adjust the protective barrier around them to allow it to pass through. He was surprised at the ease with which he caught Asch's body. It was strange. It was almost like his body had sensed him coming and prepared for it.

The sight of his dead original was enough to sober him up, and he could have sworn he felt Guy placing a hand on his back, but before he could say something he was distracted by the swirling fire around them, which in a blink took the shape of Lorelei in front of them.

"_So the world did not vanish. To think the future I saw would be re-written..._"

Neither Luke nor Guy said a thing, but he felt relief at the reassurance that their efforts had paid off, and the deity continued in a voice that sounded almost… proud.

"_You have done admirably._"

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, the figure disassembled itself back into fire and swirled around them a couple of times before ascending up into the sky in a column of light.

Luke had just opened his mouth to say something when he felt it, that imminent sensation that his body was being ripped apart as his fonons attempted to dissipate, his body glowing a faint gold. Had he been alone, he would have embraced it —it wasn't like he had wanted to die, but he had known that it was the right thing to do—, but he was the only thing keeping them both afloat right now and he couldn't let Guy die with him. Not like this. He gritted his teeth and for the first time attempted to fight back against the sensation, the strain causing his legs to give up under him as he fell to his knees, still holding Asch's eerily still body.

_Not yet. Not yet. Don't disappear. I can't disappear._

Guy was at his side within seconds, holding on to him as if his hold alone could keep him in his world. He was saying something but Luke couldn't hear him, every fonon in his body fighting to escape him and making him groan as his vision began to darken at the edges. The glyph around them grew smaller, and he felt Guy cradle him closer, a slightly trembling hand running through his hair as he whispered soothing nothings next to his ear. He wanted to say something. Wanted to yell at him for following him, for being so stubborn — he wanted to say thank you, to say all the things he hadn't said before, but he had no voice left and it was taking all of his will power just to _stay_ here.

In his desperation, he did the only thing he could. He squeezed his eyes closed, and he pleaded. To whoever was there, to whoever would hear.

_Please._

_Please save him._

It was getting harder to form a coherent thought. His eyes opened back up, searching for Guy's face, his eyes looking hazy, almost feverish.

_Please._

_Save... Guy._

He heard Guy calling his name as if from a distance, but he had no strength left to fight.

_I'm sorry._

A swirl of fire behind the blonde caught his attention just as his vision started to waver, every inch of his body feeling like it was coming apart.

And then, everything went black.


End file.
